Scottish SPCA issue fresh appeal after cat shot in Falkirk dies

29 May 2019

The Scottish SPCA has issued a fresh appeal for information after a cat shot in Falkirk dies of its injuries.

We were first notified of the incident on 14 May by Mr Alan Smith who had rushed his cat Rhea to the vet after finding her with a severe wound to the abdomen. Despite emergency treatment and surgical procedures, Rhea passed away from her injuries and subsequent infection.

This was the second of Mr Smith’s cats to be targeted. In June 2018, Mr Smith’s other cat, Oreo, was shot by an air rifle. This is the third cat shooting incident in Falkirk in less than a year.

Mr Smith said, “My wife and I are devastated beyond belief.

“There are no words that can or will help. Gutted does not cover how we feel. We have lost faith in humanity after losing Rhea in such a horrific way.

“She did not deserve this, the pain and suffering she must have gone through before her death would have been unbearable, it breaks my heart.

“The person responsible must be brought to justice before they strike again. Someone out there knows something. Our pet died for absolutely no reason.

“The amount of distress and upset it has caused my wife and I is immeasurable. This will be with us for the rest of our lives, losing our baby girl in this way.”

Inspector Andrew Gray said, “We are saddened to hear of the death of Rhea.

“This is the second time the family have suffered something so harrowing. Unfortunately, Rhea wasn’t as lucky as Oreo.

“The person responsible must be caught. This is the third cat within a two-mile radius since last June to have suffered injury from an airgun. We are concerned this person or persons is going to commit more crimes against animals.

“Owning an air rifle without a license has been illegal since December 2016, this is a move we welcomed due to incidents such as this.”

Constable Maria Malcolm from Falkirk Police Station said: “These acts are extremely dangerous, reckless and illegal. We understand the distress and upset this incident has caused to the cat’s owners and we continue to investigate the circumstances fully.

“We believe the animal may have been injured whilst being in the Callendar Wood area and we would urge anyone who may have any information to help us identify and trace those involved, to come forward to assist with our inquiries as soon as possible.”

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101 or the Scottish SPCA’s confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.